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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to developing a strategic plan to support the child-care |
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workforce. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 302.0062 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 302.0062. STRATEGIC PLAN TO SUPPORT CHILD-CARE |
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WORKFORCE. (a) The commission shall prepare a strategic plan for |
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improving the quality of the infant, toddler, preschool, and |
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school-age child-care workforce in this state. The strategic plan |
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must include: |
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(1) recommendations for local workforce development |
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boards to improve, sustain, and support the child-care workforce; |
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(2) recommendations for increasing compensation for |
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and reducing turnover of child-care workers; |
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(3) recommendations for eliminating racial and gender |
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pay disparity in the child-care workforce; |
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(4) recommendations for increasing paid opportunities |
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for professional development and education for child-care workers, |
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including apprenticeships; |
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(5) best practices from local workforce development |
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boards in this state and other programs designed to support |
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child-care workers; |
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(6) recommendations for increasing participation in |
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the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System; |
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(7) recommendations for public and private |
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institutions of higher education to: |
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(A) increase the use of articulation agreements |
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with school districts and open-enrollment charter schools; and |
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(B) assist in the education and training of |
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child-care workers; |
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(8) specific recommendations for improving the infant |
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and toddler child-care workforce; and |
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(9) a timeline and benchmarks for the commission and |
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local workforce development boards to implement recommendations |
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from the strategic plan. |
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(b) The commission shall convene a workgroup to assist the |
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commission in developing the plan. The workgroup shall include: |
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(1) child-care providers; |
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(2) community stakeholders; and |
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(3) child-care workers. |
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(c) The commission shall use the following information in |
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creating the plan: |
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(1) demographic data of child-care workers in this |
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state, including: |
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(A) the race, ethnicity, gender, and educational |
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attainment of child-care workers; and |
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(B) the ages of the children the worker serves; |
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(2) compensation data for child-care workers |
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disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, and educational |
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attainment; |
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(3) the information described by Subdivisions (1) and |
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(2) for a representative sample set of child-care facilities in the |
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state; and |
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(4) information provided by the workgroup established |
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under Subsection (b). |
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(d) The commission shall provide the strategic plan |
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prepared under this section to the governor, the lieutenant |
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governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives. |
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(e) The commission shall update the strategic plan prepared |
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under this section every three years. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2022, the Texas |
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Workforce Commission shall make the strategic plan required by |
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Section 302.0062, Labor Code, as added by this Act, available to the |
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governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |